New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission: Induction Loop Systems for Hard of Hearing Passengers; September

Hello, my name is Janice Schacter Lintz and I am the Chair of the Hearing Access Program. I am also the mother of an18-year old daughter who is hard of hearing. We applaud the TLC for including induction loops in the Taxi of Tomorrow.

Communication with a driver is difficult when a person has a hearing loss. There is a Plexiglas divider that inhibits sound, and the passenger cannot see the driver’s face to read lips, since the driver is facing forward while driving. Induction loops allow my daughter and others who are hard of hearing to effectively communicate with the driver by switching their hearing aid to the “T” setting. The passenger can hear the driver directly in his or her hearing aid. No longer does the passenger have to worry that he or she that will end up in Soho when headed to Noho, a goal that everyone can agree is important.

Induction loops also allow drivers with hearing loss to hear the passenger, so they can continue working. No one should have to stop working because of a hearing loss when the technology to remedy the situation is easily available.

Induction loops provides excellent customer service for people who are hard of hearing. This is a universally used technology that has been available for many years and has been mandated in every taxi in London since 1998. The NYC Transit has added induction loops to all subway information booths and call boxes. Museums across the city are adding induction loops in addition to companies like Apple, Shake Shack, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Induction loops are also used throughout the world in numerous countries, such as Australia, Denmark, England, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden.

New York City will be the model and leader by adding induction loop technology to its taxis. This is very exciting and I want to thank the TLC for supporting the inclusion of induction loops in taxis.